Dear Mr Robert Kirkman
by Hailey C. Black
Summary: The Walking Dead started with comics. Which I found and read. There're 90 individual comics or 15 Volumes of Trade Paperbacks. The individual ones have letter columns at the back. Like an author Q&A. I read some of those and decided to e-mail in, myself.


A/N- Letter I wrote to Robert Kirkman, the author of The Walking Dead comic series which inspired the AMC series aptly titled, 'The Walking Dead'. I really sent this in. I think the comics are up to #90 now. I downloaded #1-#45. I'm at #22 at the moment. I don't _intend_ to download #46-#90. I'd actually rather get them in Volumes (or, Trade Paperbacks, as Wikipedia says they're called, which has about six comics melded into one for each of the fifteen volumes). Less of a hassle.

Word Count: 968 (wc doesn't include author's notes)

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><p>My Letter to 'The Walking Dead's Letter Hackers. (The sort of author Q&amp;A portion at the end of the 'The Walking Dead' comics)<p>

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><p>Mr. Robert Kirkman,<p>

I am a 19 year old girl. And the last comic I read was in the eighth grade for my English class. Technically it was a 'graphic novel' right? Something about mice and the holocaust. Mauz II, I'm pretty sure it was called. There was some disturbing imagery that stuck with me from that one. Something about the victims' bodies in the gas chambers coming out without fingernails, and arms broken from shoulder and elbow joints from trying to pry the doors open, and others crushed and trampled in the pandemonium. I was the only girl in my class who didn't whine at how nastily descriptive the book was being. But I was always one for horror movies so... which probably stems from my parents' very memorable argument, 'They're R rated movies for a _reason_. They're not meant for six year olds.' 'But, honey, she knows they're not real, and it's only The Shining. What could it hurt.' My dad got a kick out of me croaking 'Redrum' for weeks after that, and my mom screamed once when I wrote it on her mirror using her ever-so-fun-to-play-with hair mousse. Anyway.

My point was- I'm not really one to read comics. At least I thought I wasn't. And then my grandmother and I rented the first Season of AMC's The Walking Dead this past Halloween and I got a little obsessed with zombies again. Then I realized The Walking Dead started as a comic. Zombies are definitely my favorite venue of the horror film genre, and now I've found my interest in zombies taking me to unexpected places. Namely a comic book store called Super Comics (complete with a red, yellow, and blue Superman insignia between) here in... where I live vaguely in Texas. At first I made the excuse, 'I'm just going to buy my little brother a Christmas present.' Really I was looking for The Walking Dead. And I found Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Which I did buy and send to my little brother for Christmas. After I read them. Oh, and he's 16, so don't worry, I'm not sending 'M for Mature' reading material to an eight year old or something.

But then as the story goes, I got poor. No money. All I had to my name was my trusty new laptop my dad got me for Christmas (even though it was supposed to be my graduation present. Seven months ago.) and my grandmother's house for Internet access. So... (don't prosecute me for admitting this. please. *sad puppy eyes*) I downloaded comics 1-45 off the interwebs. I'm sorry. I'm sure your bank account is feeling the hit. But as I said- I did buy the first two Volumes... and I kinda plan to buy them again and more once I get another job. I'm the kinda person who likes to re-read. And I like having books that I liked on my shelves for rainy days. And to look at because they have pretty covers. Which your books do. So you can rest assured that you will still be getting my money. Eventually. After I've finished reading these pdf versions.

I know it's weird to admit Piracy to an artist (or author in this case) but I saw those letters at the end of the comics and I loved reading your responses, 'cause the insight was great. And your humor amusing. And I felt a bit guilty. And I read about something called a 'pull list' or something. I've probably got that wrong. I am a girl, so it's to be expected. My only skill is making sandwiches- as the sub shop I worked at, WhichWich, would surely attest to. In fact, I got that job because, in the area where you're supposed to list skills you may possess which qualify you for the job, I wrote, "I'm a woman. I can make a sandwich." But anyway, back to the 'pull list' thingy. I was wondering what that was. I'm sure I could go back to Super Comics and ask them, but I figured- You know stuff about comics! and you've probably got nothin' much going on to occupy your time, so I'm sure you could answer my question. If not, I've inferred from context that its a thing you can set up at the comic book store that will have them hold the new issue of whatever comic so that you can come pick it up at your leisure, and not have to worry about it being sold out before you can get to it.

But feel free to correct me. Or affirm me. Or chastise me for my horrible, horrible Piracy. Or laugh at me. Really, thats the reaction I'm sure I'm going to get. I'm positive I'm not normally this annoyingly rambley and stupid. It's five in the a.m. though, and I'm starting to get a little hyper. That usually happens just before I crash. So... bye. Oh, and you're awesome. 'Cause you fulfilled my wishes. I always wanted the zombie movies to keep going, 'What happens next?' and all that. So thanks. Your comics are awesome. The only comics I've ever been interested in. And the show on AMC you inspired is awesome. I hope this makes up a little bit for the fact that I didn't pay you for your awesomeness. Which you would never have known about unless I had told you. So...

I'm done rambling now. Wait, one more: I love you, you awesome-comic-book-writer-person. Bye.

Hailey

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><p>AN- So I recently got re-obsessed with Zombies. And this is a bit of the results. I'll only update this if I get some sort of response from R. Kirkman. I'll be looking for whatever next issue there is for it and scouring the Letter Hackers bit:) Someone know what number they're actually at? I'll check Wikipedia.


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